


this tangled web of fate

by byeolbit



Category: VIXX
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, CLAMP inspired AU, Fantasy, Gen, M/M, Reincarnation across universes, hongbin suffers and hakyeon yearns, in particular tsubasa chronicles and xxxholic, inter dimension and time travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-06
Updated: 2020-04-06
Packaged: 2021-02-28 21:34:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,584
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23143987
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/byeolbit/pseuds/byeolbit
Summary: There is no such thing as a coincidence, Sanghyuk says. No matter how trivial a meeting and the incidents that follow may seem, a relationship is made. Even if it is just for a short amount of time, a knot that has been tied does not unravel. It means that during Hakyeon's lifetime, every incident that passes has meaning. The dreams shared between (Hongbin) and him also have meaning, so he would do well to remember them
Relationships: Cha Hakyeon | N & Lee Hongbin, Cha Hakyeon | N/Jung Taekwoon | Leo, Cha Hakyeon | N/Lee Hongbin
Comments: 3
Kudos: 8
Collections: Intoxicating 1.5 - Bingo





	this tangled web of fate

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the prompt - Nights seem to be endless, only silently interrupted by the flood of neon lights that paint the sky in technicolor. Hakyeon belongs to the night, yet he wishes Hongbin would visit his night once again.

Hakyeon dreams of a man. No, a boy. He dreams of a boy with wide doe eyes that sparkle in the sunshine but no longer reflect the grim smiles on his lips. His face is grim and body scarred from his battles with the demons he faces.

Sanghyuk tells him nothing of the boy. That traitor. He simply sips his coffee and says no more than Hakyeon will know the future as it plays out. In all his years of knowing the psychic, Sanghyuk has never refused a request from Hakyeon before. But Hakyeon trusts him so he holds his silence.

There is no such thing as a coincidence, Sanghyuk says. No matter how trivial a meeting and the incidents that follow may seem, a relationship is made. Even if it is just for a short amount of time, a knot that has been tied does not unravel. It means that during Hakyeon's lifetime, every incident that passes has meaning. The dreams shared between the other man and him also have meaning, so he would do well to remember them.

And so Hakyeon resigns himself to his shop. People come and people go. Some willing to pay the price for the help they ask and others refusing to. But that is the law of this universe. All things in balance. To gain something, one must lose something equally valuable first.

On quiet slow nights, his only entertainment comes from Jaehwan bouncing around. The magical being ties down the shop to the interdimensional portal they live in. It often consumes his energy, the strain on the multiverse rippling into the tiny cosmic pocket when significant events occur. But on other nights, he is spirited and never manages to sit in one place. His antics always make Hakyeon smile.

Wonshik visits him some times. When he grows tired of travelling between dimensions and following Inseob and Chiwoong around, he comes home to Hakyeon. He brings tales of the different lands he travels to and Hakyeon paints pictures from his poetic words instead of using his powers to see into Wonshik's past experiences.

Hakyeon tried to use his powers in a selfish way once. It feels like a bad memory from a different lifetime. A hollow echo of a nightmare in the morning after the dream.

Hakyeon waits. Sometimes he dreams of the man again. The glimpses into the other's life always washes him with strange longing. A yearning for a home he has never had. The shop is home and has been for centuries. But it feels woefully incomplete in the mornings after.

-

Hakyeon watches the neon lights painting the sky and instinctively feels something significant is about to occur. He immediately detects the portal opening and next to him, Wonshik takes out the sheathed sword he carries concealed under his cloak. Just in case he needs to defend Hakyeon.

Hakyeon places a hand on Wonshik's wrist that has tightened on the hilt of his sword. Wonshik hesitates and retreats as Hakyeon steps into the garden where the portal has opened. But he remains vigilant. Jaehwan also watches the event unfold but does a better job at maintaining his poker face.

Hakyeon holds his breath as the portal pulls away and closes, leaving a man lying on the ground, curled up on himself. Hakyeon recognises the man from his dreams and almost curses. Dear gods and spirits above, what is he supposed to do now?

Hakyeon calls Wonshik for help and Wonshik takes the man inside. Jaehwan takes over, inspecting the stranger who has literally dropped out of nowhere into their house. He works to fix whatever problem he can and Hakyeon stands frozen in his place, multiple thoughts reeling through his head.

What is this man doing here? Where did he come from? Why did the universe bring him here out of all the places the portal could have opened to? Hakyeon is still reeling from the shock of his dreams materializing into reality out of nowhere (quite literally) and has no answers.

Jaehwan breaks him out of his trance when he assures him that the human in front of them is in no danger. Their energy has been depleted, unused to the strain of passing through the portal that led them here. Jaehwan declares that he must wait till their guest is recovered enough to investigate more. Something is not quite right but he isn’t sure what. Any further probing would best be done with their guest awake.

Hakyeon volunteers to look after their guest.

-

Hongbin does not recognize the surroundings he wakes up in. The room is dark and he squints to make out anything beyond the general direction of the windows and curtains. His head hurts and he can’t even bring himself to raise his hand to touch it without the sensation of a thousand pins and needles forcing it back down on the bed he lies on.

A gentle voice filters through the haze and Hongbin realizes it is telling him to not move. He tastes a bitter liquid and deduces that it must be medicine because of the calming effect it has. The pain gently ebbs away and he falls back into slumber.

He dreams of a gentle soul running his hands through his hair to put him to sleep and then he dreams no more

-

It takes five nights for their guest to recover. Hakyeon spends most of those nights in the same room as him. The world outside is awash in lights and colours as the winter festival starts. The nights grow short and nights grow colder. The shop itself is warm and quiet, painted in shades of solitude and peace.

Sanghyuk visits Hakyeon once. It is perhaps the only time Hakyeon voluntarily leaves his guest’s side. Something pulls him back to his side every time. There is something about his energy that makes Hakyeon’s own feel whole. Like they were always meant to end up here together in this place and time. It makes no sense but it is the only thing that makes sense anymore

Sanghyuk agrees with his conclusion. Although the psychic refuses to tell Hakyeon anything more, he agrees that the two of them are linked. Hakyeon is correct in his understanding that they were meant to meet here but they still have a vast future ahead of them that can go any which way.

-

Hongbin is his name, their guest tells Hakyeon when he is finally stable enough to talk. His doe eyes are prettier in person and the observation is more distracting than helpful.

He grew up in Clow Country and he knows he isn’t there anymore. But he doesn’t remember how he got here to Hakyeon’s shop. Only that his father pushed him out of harm’s way when his kingdom was attacked and then he woke up here, talking to Hakyeon.

Hongbin is a prince, Hakyeon realizes. Glimpses of his life that he has seen in his dream make more sense now. The finery, the castles with high towers that gave views of vast fields and forests, the distinct sense of purpose and weight of responsibility in Hongbin’s eyes.

He needs to go back, Hongbin says determinedly and attempts to stand. He stumbles and Hakyeon catches him. Hongbin groans and his face burns with shame from having to rely on someone else but he has already been far away for far too long and he doesn’t have the time to be weak.

Hakyeon tells him that what Hongbin wishes for is a way to travel across dimensions and possibly in time too if he wishes to save his father. Hongbin nods but Hakyeon only shakes his head in response. The kind of magic that Hongbin asks for is not impossible but comes at a great cost. He has seen the world’s most powerful magician attempt it once and pay a heavy price.

A heavy price… Hongbin mouths the phrase to himself. Whatever the cost, he is willing to pay it to save his father, he insists. Hakyeon knows that he doesn’t understand the cost so he tells Hongbin a story.

-

_Once upon a time, there existed a magician. Fondly called the wish granter, he was powerful enough to equal gods. But the wish granter was a kind and generous soul who helped those in need. Unparalleled, the people said, grateful for the blessings bestowed on them._

_He was the strongest, worshipped by people everywhere he went. So loved was he that he was elevated to the status of a king to rule over his subjects. To those who were willing to pay the price for their wishes to be granted, the magician was god sent._

_And then the universe created his equal. Another magician, equally powerful, destined to rival the magician's own capabilities. Destined to compliment his style of magic and his own traits to create a perfect half. Destined to fall in love and live the rest of their lives together, ruling peacefully over the world._

_But then the magician had a vision. A vision of the future that he shared with no one. With his lover, he only shared the possibility of great danger and sorrow that it had shown. His lover begged and pleaded for him not to follow the path laid in the vision. It would bring you sorrow, he said. It was a path of thorns that would only bring him pain._

_The magician smiled and said that some night, it would do the world good. His pain would be nothing in front of those that would gain from his sacrifice._

_And so the magician created a mokona, a replica of the original travelling god who walked the worlds. He gave the mokona to his lover, entrusting him to care for it since his power had been significantly weakened by the act and the magician knew his end was near._

_With his dying breath the wish granter whispered his love to his lover one last time before using the last of his wish granting abilities to freeze time for his lover to escape. But his lover never did, trapped in the prison made from the good intentions of the wish granter to suffer eternity alone._

-

Hongbin looks at Hakyeon and his gaze softens. How long has he lived here in the shop, with time passing around the little interdimensional pocket but never within it?

Hakyeon no longer keeps count of the years. It feels like eternity, he replies truthfully and Hongbin nods. They sit in silence, lost in their respective thoughts. Outside the window, the sun sets and the stars appear as the sky turns blue. The stars stay fixed in the same position as last night.

Wonshik can help him, Hakyeon tells him finally. Wonshik is the mokona spirit that Taekwoon created. His powers aren’t reliable but he has been walking the worlds with Inseob and Chiwoong and learning more of his abilities. Hongbin may not remember seeing him when he arrived but the man will be back soon and just maybe, he will have a solution to how to return Hongbin to his world.

But even the use of Wonshik’s power has a cost, Hakyeon reminds Hongbin. Chiwoong gave up his ability to do blood magic and Inseob gave up his dragon blade sword. Both men were significantly stripped of their magic in return for the ability to travel between worlds. Hongbin will have to pay an equivalent price if not more for what he asks.

Hongbin’s silence gives Hakyeon his answer.

-

As expected, Hongbin leaves with Wonshik.

Hakyeon never doubted the outcome of his conversation with Hongbin. It takes a month before Wonshik returns. This time he brings a new companion, a young magician named Woosung who helped them escape demons and sacrificed his most precious amulet to travel with the crew.

Wonshik accepts Hongbin in return for an equivalent sacrifice and Hongbin gives up half of his eyesight. He loses the vision in his left eye and has to rely heavily on his right to fight but to him, it is a small sacrifice in order to save his father.

Wonshik discloses that his powers aren’t as reliable as Hongbin hopes they are and it might take a few hops to get to Clow Country and even then Wonshik can guarantee nothing. Hongbin still makes the payment and in return earns the admiration and loyalty of the other three who swear to help him when they do arrive in his home world.

Hakyeon sits on the patio and Jaehwan brings him some tea. It has been three nights since Hongbin left. Jaehwan says he misses him out loud so Hakyeon doesn’t have to. Hakyeon ruefully watches as the first snow begins to fall.

Hongbin is not the first human to pass through the shop and probably never return but Hakyeon misses him terribly. He misses the idle talks they had in the evening or the young man’s wit and sass when dealing with customers who came to Hakyeon’s shop. He misses the way his eyes light up as he learns more about the world of magic or when he figures out what an amulet or trinket in the shop does.

He is grateful for Jaehwan distracting him with idle chatter about the humans he saw outside the shop or the neighbourhood he visits for grocery shopping.

-

Maybe it is the rekindling of his memories of Taekwoon and Wonshik’s creation that causes Hakyeon to be more in tune with the mokona than before.

Hakyeon dreams more and more of Wonshik’s travels than he did before. Sometimes it is something as simple as Woosung complaining that he is always made to do chores as the youngest. Sometimes it is the memory of a fight with Inseob and Hongbin defending Chiwoong as he attempts to cast a spell to destroy whatever creature is attacking them.

Sometimes he dreams of Hongbin alone. The man keeps up a brave face and does not let disappointment show when they land in a new world and it is not the one he wishes to be in. At nights when he keeps watch, Hongbin looks up at the night sky and counts the stars and prays for his father to be alright.

At nights when Hakyeon cannot sleep, he idly wonders about Hongbin’s father. What sort of magician was the king that he could send his son away across dimensions even in the middle of a terrible fight? How did he know to send him here to Hakyeon, the one wizard who could help him? Or was he simply terribly lucky that Hongbin ended up safe?

If he really is wondering about things that he will never have an answer to then Hakyeon decides to be bold enough to wonder if Hongbin will ever visit the shop again. He doesn’t understand the nature of their connection but knows that there is no denying the existence of one. He wonders if Hongbin feels it too or if he is too preoccupied with his mission to sense it.

-

Hongbin is too late to save his father when he reaches Clow Country. Though Wonshik manages to take him back in time to the battle in the throne room where he was sent away from, his father uses the last of his magic to destroy his enemies, killing himself and destroying his castle.

The kingdom has already been ravaged by the enemies and it leaves Hongbin with nothing left to save. Hakyeon can feel his numbness and despair across dimensions and time and wishes he was there to comfort him. Wonshik takes charge to do so, having developed a sense of kinship with the man. His words fall on deaf ears. The last of Hongbin’s hope has been extinguished and nothing can fill the void created by this loss.

Hongbin goes missing in the night and the crew is forced to move on when they cannot find him after months of searching the foreign land.

-

It’s years before Hakyeon sees Hongbin again. He almost doesn’t recognize the man sitting in his shop and listening to Jaehwan talk as he drinks his tea. Hongbin is taller and his hair is longer, tied up with a thin hair tie. There is no mistaking it when their eyes meet and Hongbin smiles softly at him.

He’s here to meet Hakyeon. Jaehwan tactfully withdraws but not before making Hongbin promise he will come visit again and sooner than six years this time. Hongbin smiles in response but commits to nothing.

Hongbin brings a picture with him. It’s burnt and frayed at the edges but it is important to him and he holds on to it with an iron grip. He places it carefully in Hakyeon’s hand and it makes Hakyeon tremble. It’s a picture of Hongbin's parents and there is no mistaking it. His father looks exactly like Taekwoon and it takes Hakyeon’s breath away.

It’s not Taekwoon himself Hongbin explains. His father was the son of Taekwoon that lived in Clow Country. Though not as powerful as Hakyeon’s Taekwoon, he was a powerful magician himself and he passed on his knowledge to Hongbin’s father. While experimenting with travelling between the dimensions of the multiverse, Hongbin’s father met Hakyeon’s Taekwoon long before Hakyeon knew him. Hongbin’s father saved Hakyeon’s Taekwoon and was granted a boon. A boon to meet the love of his life, Hongbin’s mother which in turn led to Hakyeon’s Taekwoon wishing for his own love in jealousy and being blessed by the universe for his good deeds.

Hakyeon only has one question to ask Hongbin. How did he learn this truth? For six years, Hongbin travelled across the destroyed kingdom to uncover his father’s secrets that were hidden away in safehouses he built. The knowledge in the books he saved helped Hongbin develop his own magic that led him to Sanghyuk.

Sanghyuk, Hakyeon repeats in amazement. Hongbin nods in confirmation. Sanghyuk was the one who looked into the past to confirm Hongbin’s family history and past. Hakyeon feels betrayed. Sanghyuk knew. For years Sanghyuk knew of what was to come and held his silence.

Hakyeon asks what else Sanghyuk told him and Hongbin hesitates. Hakyeon’s Taekwoon was never meant to die, Hongbin starts. But that changed when he chose to act on the vision of the future he saw. Hakyeon can almost cry. He had pleaded with Taekwoon not to and yet Taekwoon had not listened.

The gap that Taekwoon’s death had created had led to Hongbin’s own existence. In a way he was a reincarnation of Hakyeon’s Taekwoon. His father had known this. When his enemies had attempted to murder him and steal his power, his father had intentionally sent him to Hakyeon knowing that Hakyeon would keep his lover’s reincarnation safe. That had been the only way to save him and for him to meet Wonshik so he could return to Clow Country and discover his own hidden powers over time. However for Wonshik to exist and Hakyeon to be present when he was needed, Taekwoon had to sacrifice his magic and die.

Hakyeon needs to sit down. In hindsight the elaborate occurence of fate’s plan makes sense but it doesn’t lessen the cruelty of it all. It explains why Hongbin feels like home to Hakyeon despite never having met. It explains the yearning he feels echoing in his bones and the feeling of being whole now that he is here again. Hongbin places a hand on Hakyeon’s shoulder and only continues when he is sure that Hakyeon feels up to listening.

He met Sanghyuk two years ago, Hongbin tells him. But the knowledge of the truth only left him lost and confused. What happens now that the grand destiny of Taekwoon’s plans have played out? Where does Hongbin go from here? What will Hakyeon do? He spends two years trying to understand the answers to these questions and draws naught.

There is only one thing left, Hongbin reasons, and that is to free Hakyeon of the timeless prison Taekwoon put him in. So Hongbin makes an offer to free Hakyeon from his connection to the shop. To help his soul pass on and to truly finish what Taekwoon started before he can avenge his father.

Hakyeon declines his offer and Hongbin doesn’t need an explanation to understand why. He leaves without any promises to return.

-

Why did he not tell him, Hakyeon asks Sanghyuk. Sanghyuk says that the past and future both were held in a precarious balance. Moreover it was not his place to tell him the truth but Hongbin’s.

What will you do now, Sanghyuk asks Hakyeon in return. Hakyeon doesn’t know yet. Will he leave the only life he has known? Where will he go if he does?

Sanghyuk nods and Hakyeon foolishly asks him if he has seen the future beyond this and already knows what Hakyeon will do. Sanghyuk shakes his head and says it was too uncertain for him to get a clear vision. He doesn’t know what his future holds anymore.

Hakyeon goes back to the shop. As the night around him fades into morning, he waits for Hongbin to visit him once again. He has no promises or assurances to go on but something in his heart tells him that Hongbin will return. Now that Hongbin has come into his power, their bond feels solidified and whole. Hakyeon knows Hongbin can feel it too and chooses to trust in it.

And so he waits.

-


End file.
